I Maligned / Misled ChatGPT about Rav Tachlifa bar Rav Chisda

The other day, I posted about Rav Chisda’s daughters and sons. Then, I decided to explore how ChatGPT stacked up - would it “know” the iffy status of some of these descendants? Could I lead it to something approximating my conclusion? In the process, we noted some errors, such as justifying the existence of Rav Tachlifa bar Rav Chisda based on Bava Batra 12b, where that gemara did mention Rav Chisda and his daughter, but did not mention Rav Tachlifa bar Rav Chisda at all, nor the content it produced attributed to him. It eventually backed away and conceded he didn’t exist, as he was not mentioned ever in the Talmud.

However, Rav Tachlifa bar Rav Chisda does indeed exist, on Gittin 31b:

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבָּה: אִי הָכִי, הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״וַתַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ עַל רֹאשׁ יוֹנָה וַיִּתְעַלָּף״?! אֶלָּא אָמַר רַבָּה: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמְּנַשֶּׁבֶת, מְשַׁתֶּקֶת כׇּל הָרוּחוֹת מִפָּנֶיהָ. וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״אֲשֶׁר בְּגָדֶיךָ חַמִּים בְּהַשְׁקִט אֶרֶץ מִדָּרוֹם״. אָמַר רַבִּי תַּחְלִיפָא בַּר רַב חִסְדָּא, אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: אֵימָתַי בְּגָדֶיךָ חַמִּים? בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהִשְׁקִיט אֶרֶץ מִדָּרוֹם. שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמְּנַשֶּׁבֶת מְשַׁתֶּקֶת כׇּל הָרוּחוֹת מִפָּנֶיהָ.

Rabba said to him: If that is so, then that which is written in the continuation of the verse: “And the sun beat upon the head of Jonah and he fainted” (Jonah 4:8), is difficult; it seems from the continuation of the verse that the wind was extremely hot, not strong. Rather, Rabba says: At the time that it blows, it silences all the winds before it. Therefore, it is called ḥarishit, because all other winds are silent [maḥarishot] before it. Since only this wind was blowing, it became very hot. And this is as it is written: “You whose garments are hot, when the earth is still by reason of the south wind” (Job 37:17). Rabbi Taḥalifa bar Rav Ḥisda says that Rav Ḥisda says in explanation of this verse: When are your garments hot, i.e., when is there the greatest heat? It is when the earth is still by reason of the south wind, as at the time that the southern wind blows, it silences all the winds before it.

So ChatGPT had encountered this name, perhaps somewhere in the Talmud, perhaps in Toledot Tannaim vaAmoraim (who lists it and points to this daf), but it was unable to link it to the actual daf.

Does this solitary reference to this Amora justify his existence? I am not sure, or convinced.

After all, plain Rav Tachlifa interacts with Rav Huna in Moed Katan 25b, and in the second perek of Shabbat, asks a question to Rav Chisda; Rav Tachlifa bar Avina is Rav Chisda’s student in Chullin 60. I would have expected more than a passing reference to Rav Chisda’s son; also, dittography could well account for making either of those other Tachlifas into Rav Chisda’s son.

Some variants from Hachi Garsinan:

Aras 668 skips him citing Rav Chisda:

Firkovich 187 is damaged, so we don’t really know what it says. It does have the חס at least. Note there is a Rav Tachlifa bar bar Chana.

and Vatican 140 makes the citee just Rav, rather than Rav Chisda.

This doesn’t really take us anywhere. Still, given the gemara readings which may have Rav Chisda only have daughters, I could doubt this sole instance of Rav Tachlifa bar Rav Chisda, as above.